Saxifraga plant named ‘Rockwhite’

ABSTRACT

A new  Saxifraga  plant, particularly distinguished by its white flower color, early flowering and compact plant habit.

Latin name of the genus and species of the plant claimed:Saxifraga×arendsii.

Varietal denomination: ‘Rockwhite’.

BACKGROUND OF THE NEW PLANT

The present invention comprises a new distinct cultivar of Saxifraga,botanically known as Saxifraga×arendsii.

The new Saxifraga is a product of a planned breeding program conductedin a greenhouse in Enkhuizen, Netherlands. The new Saxifraga cultivarhas a compact plant, a white flower color and an early flowering.

The new Saxifraga is propagated by cuttings resulting from a singleseedling. This seedling originates from a white flowering selection inSaxifraga×arendsii ‘Purperteppich’ (not patented), identified as number‘D621.’ This selection was made through three cycles of half sibselection. The selection was done in the period April 2001 until March2003 in Enkhuizen, The Netherlands. The seedling was selected in March2003 in Enkhuizen.

The present cultivar has been repeatedly asexually reproduced bycuttings in Enkhuizen, Netherlands, since 2003. The distinctivecharacteristics of this new Saxifraga are stable and reproduced true totype in successive generations of asexual reproduction. It takes 23 to29 weeks to produce a finished plant, depending on the temperature.

The new Saxifraga plant is a perennial in all climatic zones in the US.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The new Saxifraga plant is illustrated by the accompanying photographicdrawing which shows blooms, buds and foliage of the plant in full color,the color showing being as true as can be reasonably obtained byconventional photographic procedures.

DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW CULTIVAR

The following detailed descriptions set forth the distinctivecharacteristics of this new Saxifraga. The data which defines thesecharacteristics were collected from asexual reproductions carried out inEnkhuizen, The Netherlands. The plant history was taken on plants of 30weeks old. The instant plant was grown in an 11 cm container in aplastic tunnel.

Color references are primarily to the R.H.S. Colour Chart of The RoyalHorticultural Society of London.

Plants of the new Saxifraga differ primarily from the plants of theoriginator ‘Purperteppich’ in the following characteristics:

Plants of the new variety have uniform white flowers and a compactgrowth habit, whereas plants of ‘Purperteppich’ have red, rose and whiteflowers and a loose growth habit.

TABLE 1 DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE NEW CULTIVAR ‘ ROCKWHITE’ AND A SIMILARCULTIVAR ‘Findling white’ ‘Rockwhite’ (not patented) Flower stem length6-13 cm 4-8 cm Petal shape Orbicular Oval Time of flowering 23-29 weeksafter cutting 26-32 weeks after cutting

-   The plant:    -   -   Classification.—Botanical: Saxifraga×arendsii.-   Parentage:    -   -   Originator selection.—‘Purperteppich’ (not patented).-   Propagation:    -   -   Type of cutting.—Terminal cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots.—12-14 days at 18° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted cutting.—5 weeks.        -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous and white in color.-   Plant description:    -   -   General appearance.—Makes mats of rosetts. Each rosette            develops several short branches, and one or more branched            flower stems.        -   Growth and branching habit.—Freely branching habit, freely            flowering, vigorous.        -   Plant height.—14 cm.        -   Plant spread.—15 cm.-   Lateral branches:    -   -   Length.—3-5 cm.        -   Diameter.—1.2 mm.        -   Texture.—Smooth; pubescent with long hairs: 2-4 mm.        -   Internode length.—2-5 mm.        -   Color.—145C.-   The foliage:    -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate.        -   Shape of blade.—Three-lobed.        -   Length, mature leaves.—0.6-0.8 cm.        -   Width, mature leaves.—0.5-0.7 cm.        -   Apex.—Acute.        -   Base.—Acute.        -   Margin.—Entire.        -   Texture.—Smooth, slightly pubescent.        -   Venation pattern.—Palmate.        -   Color of upper surface.—144A.        -   Color of lower surface.—144B.        -   Venation, upper surface.—145B.        -   Venation, lower surface.—144A.-   The petiole:    -   -   Length.—0.6-0.8 cm.        -   Width.—1 mm.        -   Color upper surface.—144C.        -   Color lower surface.—144B.        -   Texture.—Smooth; slightly pubescent.-   The flower:    -   -   Inflorescence type.—Each rosette develops 1-3 branched            flower stems.        -   Flower type.—Single, solitary; symmetry: radial symmetric.        -   Number of branches per flower stem.—2-5.        -   Number of flowers and flower buds per flower stem.—2-15.        -   Length flower stem.—6-13 cm.        -   Flower position.—At top of branch.        -   Fragrance.—Absent.        -   Flowering season.—Spring.        -   Flower diameter.—1.2-2.2 cm.        -   Lastingness of the bloom.—40-50 days.        -   Lastingness of an individual flower.—3-6 days.-   Flower buds:    -   -   Bud length (at stage of showing color).—3 mm.        -   Bud diameter.—3 mm.        -   Bud shape.—Orbicular.        -   Texture.—Smooth; pubescent, hairs have a purple tip (N79B).        -   Color, just before opening.—144B, with 63A on apex.-   Petals:    -   -   Quantity.—5 per flower, imbricate.        -   Shape.—Orbicular.        -   Apex.—Rounded to acuminate.        -   Base.—Shortly attenuate.        -   Length.—7-10 mm.        -   Width.—5-8 mm.        -   Margin.—Entire.        -   Texture.—Smooth.        -   Color upper and lower surface.—Lighter than 155C; 63A on            apex and round central vein.        -   Venation pattern.—Bowed.        -   Venation upper and lower surface.—150A.-   Sepals:    -   -   Quantity.—5 per flower.        -   Shape.—Ovate.        -   Apex.—Acute.        -   Margin.—Entire.        -   Length.—3-4 mm.        -   Width.—2.5-3.5 mm.        -   Color upper surface.—144A, with some 63A on apex.        -   Color lower surface.—144A.        -   Texture upper surface.—Smooth; slightly pubescent, hairs            have a purple tip (N79B).        -   Texture lower surface.—Smooth, glabrous.-   Peduncles:    -   -   Length.—0.5-2.5 cm.        -   Diameter.—1 mm.        -   Color.—144A.        -   Texture.—Smooth; pubescent, hairs have a purple tip (N79B).-   Reproductive organs:    -   -   Androecium.—        -   Stamen number.—10, not fused.        -   Filament length.—3-5 mm.        -   Filament shape.—Threadlike.        -   Filament color.—154B.        -   Anther shape.—Bi-lobed.        -   Anther length.—1.5 mm.        -   Anther color.—164B.        -   Color of pollen.—2A.        -   Amount of pollen.—Normal.        -   Gynoecium.—        -   Pistil number.—2.        -   Pistil length.—3-4 mm.        -   Stigma color.—155A.        -   Style color.—154C.        -   Ovary color.—151B.-   Seed development: Seed development has not been observed to date.-   Disease/pest resistance: No disease/pest resistance has been    observed to date.

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Saxifraga plant named ‘Rockwhite,’ assubstantially illustrated and described herein.